Las Vegas City Council Special Meeting – October 2, 2025

The Las Vegas City Council held a special meeting on October 2, 2025 (the transcript references September 30, 2025, but the provided date is used per instructions) to swear in an interim councilwoman, hear public testimony on public safety and immigration enforcement, and discuss and adopt new strategic priorities for the city for the next three to five years. The meeting featured presentations from economist Jeremy Aguero and city staff on economic conditions, public safety, health care, and capital projects. After a facilitated session, the council voted to adopt four top priorities: public safety, health care, economic development, and housing/homelessness.

Swearing In of Interim Councilwoman Cara Kelly

• Cara Kelly was sworn in as the interim councilwoman for Ward Two. She took the oath of office administered by the mayor, with her father Don Kelly and husband Paul Larson present. She expressed gratitude and commitment to her constituents.

Public Comments & Testimony

• During two public comment periods, several residents spoke about public safety and immigration enforcement (ICE). Most speakers urged the council to divest from cooperation with ICE, arguing that ICE operations create fear and undermine community safety. Speakers cited racial profiling, kidnapping of individuals, and drops in tourism. A few speakers supported ICE, emphasizing law enforcement and border security.
• Other public comments addressed housing affordability, homelessness, healthcare access, child care costs, and the need for better public transportation and safe streets. One speaker requested the council to prioritize housing-first policies.
• Speakers included: Tiffany Stoik (opposed to ICE collaboration, advocated for light rail), Jill Glass (teacher, opposed to ICE), Sarah Levitt (DSA member, supported housing-first), Logan McMillian (National Guard, called ICE actions felonies), Erica Neely (supported ICE), Christian (opposed to ICE, supported housing first), Kimberly Johnston Lindsay (supported ICE), Sky Pedroza (expressed fear of racial profiling), Karen Newcomer (opposed to police treatment of protesters), Jill Douglas (supported law enforcement), Victor Shakurchi (opposed to ICE, called for divestment from Israel), and others.

Discussion Items

• Economic Presentation: Jeremy Aguero, principal analyst at Applied Analysis, provided an extensive economic overview. He noted that while the national economy shows mixed signals, Southern Nevada faces elevated unemployment (6% in Las Vegas), sluggish job growth (ranked 45th nationally), declining taxable retail sales, and a severe housing affordability crisis. He highlighted constraints including limited land (only 16,000 acres left under the multi-species habitat conservation plan), rising construction costs, and a home price-to-income gap requiring 19 years of savings to afford a median-priced home. He recommended the council plan for slower growth, balance economic development with water conservation, and strengthen healthcare and transit infrastructure.
• Staff Accomplishments: Deputy City Manager Tim Hacker reported on public safety achievements, including a 33% budget increase, new technology (cameras, flock system), canine unit, fire station expansions, and alternative sentencing programs. Deputy City Manager Sabra Newby outlined health initiatives: COVID response, recuperative care center (RCC), crisis response teams (CRT), specialty courts, and the campus for hope. CFO Susan Helpsley discussed economic diversification efforts, including business license growth, affordable housing projects (e.g., Badlands, Cashman Field redevelopment), and use of public-private partnerships (e.g., Area 15 TID, workforce training centers). Deputy City Manager Rosa Cortez provided an update on 94 capital projects valued at $1.3 billion, including a new fire station, aquatic center, pickleball complex, and health and wellness centers.
• Strategic Priority Setting: Facilitator Dr. Tom Riley led the council through a process to identify top priorities for 2025-2029. Council members proposed and then voted on priorities using dot stickers. The initial list included: public safety, health care, economic development, workforce training, attainable housing, and healthy/livable communities. After discussion, the council agreed to combine workforce training under economic development and to integrate healthy/livable communities (transportation, arts, climate) into the other four priorities.

Key Outcomes

• Adopted Strategic Priorities: The council unanimously voted to adopt four top priorities for the next three to five years: (1) Public Safety, (2) Health Care, (3) Economic Development (including workforce training), and (4) Housing and Homelessness.
• Next Steps: City Manager Mike Jansen outlined the process: community and employee feedback will be gathered in late October; a workshop with department directors will define strategies and objectives; a draft strategic plan will be presented to the council in January 2026 for feedback, with final adoption targeted for spring 2026, coinciding with the March budget workshop.
• Meeting Adjourned: The meeting was adjourned at approximately 4:30 PM after citizen participation.